Jake Dennis, who belongs to the auto racing team Avalanche Andretti, won the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix in a pulsating opening race to the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the iconic Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit.
With his fourth ever E-Prix win, Dennis, a resident of Nuneaton, is looking to become the first Brit to win the all-electric World Championship. TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein took the runner-up spot, while pole setter Lucas di Grassi of Mahindra Racing rounded off the top three.
The race saw the debut of the GEN3 – touted as “the world’s most sustainable racing car” – as a 40,000-capacity crowd got a glimpse into the future of electric automobility.
Taking in the atmosphere post-race, the 27-year-old said: “It was such a physical race. These cars are so hard to drive physically and with the lower grip as well, it makes everything more challenging. But it’s even more rewarding, especially when you win by five seconds.”
Last year's winner in Mexico, Wehrlein pushed to an eventual 11-second margin on third-placed di Grassi, having clambered up from sixth on the grid. Both drive Porsche-powered cars, with the German manufacturer finishing up with four of its powertrains in the top ten.
Season 6 champion António Félix da Costa added to Porsche's tally with seventh spot on the day, fighting his way up through the points positions late-race with a belated ATTACK MODE.
Rounds 2 and 3 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will take place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday 27 January and Saturday 28 January.
It was also a good day for McLaren on their debut in the series as rookie Jake Hughes narrowly missed out on the podium to finish fifth in his first race in Formula E. He headed home a resurgent Sebastien Buemi – the Swiss having moved from Nissan to Envision Racing over the winter.